KIRKUS REVIEW

A young man
slowly turns into a vampire while a woman flees a blood cult and its barbaric
leader in the second of Robinson’s (Silently Comes the Night, 2013)
supernatural series.

Thomas Kline
and his vampire (here called “vampyr”) girlfriend, Majken, barely survived a
murderous vamp’s attack, but in the process, Thomas’ blood was mixed with
Majken’s. He’s gradually experiencing The Change as his body adapts to a
blood-only diet. Fearing he may harm his parents or baby sis, Kimberly, Thomas
flees from his South Carolina family home and eventually meets fellow vampyr
Jeanine. Jeanine has escaped from a blood cult with 7-year-old Alecia,
cult-leader Nolan’s daughter, whom he’d planned to sacrifice. Nolan’s just
behind them, however, ready to grab Alecia and anyone else in the way. It’s up
to Majken and aspiring journalist Kimberly to find—and possibly save—Thomas.
The author establishes his contemporary vampyrs right away. They may not be
human, but they aren’t undead, and blood isn’t consumed for pleasure but rather
sustenance. They likewise aren’t bloodsuckers, opting for knives or needles to
procure their nourishment. While Thomas was the preceding novel’s protagonist,
this time Robinson wisely shifts the focus to multiple characters. The engaging
Jeanine is a mother to Alecia, whom she’s practically raised, and faces
real-world concerns, like trying to find a job. Nolan, too, is terrifying, less
because he’s a bloodsucker then because he’s an abusive, unhinged man. Thomas
has evolved; once skeptical that Majken was a vampyr, he does a few horrific
deeds in the course of changing, including attacking Kimberly. Robinson’s
vampyrs may be missing fangs, but other traits are more conventional, such as
an aversion to sunlight, heightened senses, and prolonged youth—Majken looks
college age but is pushing 300. Descriptions are sometimes too vague, like
Jeanine’s unwitting blood donor who’s “kinda passed out” or Thomas’ “hard to
describe” sickness. But Robinson develops his characters with skill; they’re
more or less typical people caught in exacting circumstances.

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